by L. V. Lane
“I’d have gone for the solar plexus,” Logan said. He was standing on my left, with the little psychic, Eloise, at his side. Eloise wasn’t watching the fight; her focus was centered on Lilly. I struggled to look at Lilly and keep my temper under control. I didn’t like her being up there—unprotected.
I especially didn’t like the way every fucking eye in this cesspit was on her, Eloise excepted.
So, it came as a bit of a surprise when I glanced up to find a single opponent left alive.
Hudson must have sensed Ethan’s intent a second before it happened because he pressed his little Healer’s face against his chest and cupped it there with his big hand.
The victim’s throat came loose with a slick pop. Blood arced across the floor and over the side of the pit in a great fountain. The crowd roared as he dropped the broken pieces to the floor.
He didn’t look at Lilly as he stalked toward the exit. He hadn’t looked at her once. Not since the first time. He was focused. I got that.
I wished it was me in the pit fighting for her although I didn’t like my chances. I was a realist. If Ethan weren’t here, I would have fought and died. This was just a fact. But I still fucking hated standing on the sideline, watching someone else fight for the Omega I considered mine.
We all turned as he approached. Blood dripped from his hair and chin and had splattered all over his clothes. It was hard to tell how much might be his. He was a messy killer.
Hudson put a hand out when he headed straight for Anna.
“Wipe your fucking face,” Hudson growled. “How the fuck do you make this much mess killing people?”
Ethan glared. “She’s a Healer.” He pointed at Anna. “They deal with—blood.”
“She doesn’t like fucking blood.” Snatching a towel from his bag, Hudson tossed it at Ethan.
Scowl deepening, Ethan wiped the blood around his face. I grimaced. Yeah, that had made it worse.
“What kind of Healer is squeamish about blood,” Ethan muttered.
“Mine,” Hudson said. “Find yourself another one if you don’t like it.”
Anna didn’t hesitate to go to Ethan despite the copious amounts of blood. Like all Healers, she was sweet and giving. Both the Omegas were struggling with the situation. Seeing Lilly chained up as a prize was enough to make hardened soldiers shudder.
Lilly’s blood had changed us, we healed faster now, but still not as fast as with a Healer, and as I watched them draw apart, his shoulders squared, and his cuts and bruises faded away.
Releasing Anna so she could return to Hudson, Ethan’s eyes locked with mine.
Frowning, I headed over. “What?” I demanded once we were out of earshot of the others.
“Lilly has gone into heat,” he said, and I felt my face empty.
Lilly’s heat explained the escalation of violence within the pit.
Hudson nearly lost it when he found out—an Alpha in rut could get confused. He growled the whole time Anna healed Ethan after the next fight, and snatched her up with barely suppressed aggression the moment they were done.
Nose-filters were part of standard kit, and while they were intended to protect from a chemical attack, they had the added bonus of blocking Omega heat scent. It was unlikely we would be able to pick anything up from this distance, but it paid to take a precaution and everyone clipped one on.
Eloise must have sensed what Lilly was going through, and she clung to the little Healer who was doing her best to calm her.
Everyone was in a deadly mood, and I was once more ready to climb the fucking walls.
I was talking to Logan and Hudson when Dax returned for the second time.
“A shuttle has just docked—Uncorrupted.” Dax paused to spit on the ground. “My man said thirty to fifty soldiers.”
“This is going to turn into one big clusterfuck,” Hudson said.
I agreed with his assessment. “Yeah, we need to deal with this,” I said, letting my game face slip into place.
Dax’s craggy brows twitched like he was trying to work me out. My highly qualified therapist, Abby, had been giving that a good crack for the last three years, so I figured Dax’s chances were low.
“They’re not even trying to hide who they are,” Dax said. “Loaded up in three All-Terrains wearing exoskeletons. I’d say they aren’t interested in the competition anymore. Black has taken three of their Alphas out. They have one more left, but he’s probably out back pissing himself.”
That stirred an inappropriate chuckle out of me. Hudson cut me a hostile glare—he must have gone to the same training camp as Ethan.
“What projectile weapons do we have?” I asked.
“Not a fucking one,” Hudson replied. “Plenty of automatics, fully fitted with infinity power packs, but we didn’t come in packing heavy. No one was expecting the Uncorrupted to turn up ready for war.”
I turned to Ethan’s contact here. “Dax?”
“Projectiles? On Lyus? You’re fucking kidding me, right?” Dax indicated his battered rifle. “Lucky if we can scrape together a decent semi from the crud we have around here.”
“Grenades, then?” I asked without much hope. “If they get inside the base, it’s going to get ugly.”
Dax scratched his bushy beard. “I’ve got an old rocket-propelled grenade launcher in the back of the Humvee, now you’ve mentioned it.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Hey, Duffy! Pop and get me the launcher!”
Duffy nodded and headed off.
“You? Using a rocket-propelled grenade launcher?” Hudson demanded. “You’re a fucking maniac with regular weapons.” His scowl deepened. “And didn’t you get reprimanded for destroying a food-service tent with one?”
“He did good on Tolis,” Logan said. “He took out a convoy of armored vehicles. Not sure how he wasn’t killed since they were shooting at him the whole time.” Then he grinned and winked at me. “But hey, it’s only Ryker. If he’s game, I say we let him at them.”
“I’m right fucking here,” I muttered.
Hudson nodded thoughtfully. “Fine then, you’re up, Sherwin. We’re in for a fight if they get inside the Pit. The people of Lyus hate the fucking Uncorrupted, but there’s a lot of bad memories from the attack ten years ago. More likely to have widespread anarchy on our hands if they turn up guns blazing. They really want the doctor. Must have not reckoned on Ethan,” he said seriously.
“You two practice your comedy show of insults?!”
“I wasn’t joking,” Hudson said frowning. “No one would be sending in the big guns if you were in the Pit.”
“I wasn’t joking, either,” said Logan.
Dax’s man, Duffy, arrived with the grenade launcher, and I performed a quick check—old but functional. “How many grenades do you have?”
“Hey, Duffy?” Dax called after the retreating man. “How many grenades we got?”
Duffy held up three fingers.
“You’re fucking kidding me,” I muttered.
Hudson elected to stay at the safe site with most of the team. If we couldn’t stop the Uncorrupted, they would need to act fast.
Myself, Logan, the two Deltas and a good number of Dax’s local team—who were burning up for a reason to kill a few Uncorrupted scum—headed up top.
We had three vehicles incoming, I had three grenades, and I didn’t like those fucking odds. The Pit had been carved into the side of a mountain, and with only one route in by road, it gave us something to work with.
“What are you going to do with three grenades?” Logan asked as we jogged up the spiraling path that lined the perimeter of the fight pit. Spectators moved aside when they saw us hustling through.
“I don’t have a fucking clue,” I admitted. “I’m not one for overthinking stuff.” Which was true, the only thing I knew with absolute certainty was that I was going to get this done.
“Well, I’m all in for whatever crazy shit you can think up,” Logan said. “I don’t want the Uncorrupted in here shooting up the place when we
don’t have any military back up.”
He didn’t need to say anymore, he’d bonded with Eloise, protecting her was all he cared about. I felt the same way about the little Omega prey hanging in that cage over the pit—in heat. I wanted to bond her, wanted this over, and to feel her soft body trembling under my hands.
I was going to get this done.
We burst out the hatch and onto the patchwork roof of the Pit. It was dark outside, and clouds hung heavy and low with the threat of rain…or snow, it was cold enough for snow. Sheets of metal, plastic, and various other compounds had been slapped together, sloping toward a rough railing that encompassed the perimeter. The surface was icy and treacherous as fuck. I was impressed that we managed to clomp and slip our way across without anyone going through or pitching over the edge.
It did give us a good view of the approach. More roofs, in a similar mismatch of materials, led to ground level and curved to the right to follow the road.
“Excellent place for an ambush,” Logan said, peering over on my right. “They will be expecting it. This is the only road in.”
I nodded. “We need to get closer.”
We slipped, crashed, and jumped down layers of roofs, leaving men at strategic points who could lay down cover fire until only Logan, and the two Deltas remained with me, and the ground was near.
In the distance, beams of headlights gave indication of the approaching All-Terrains.
Logan caught my arm. “I know I said I was up for your crazy shit, but don’t get yourself killed.”
I grinned like a maniac because I never was one for appropriate reactions in the face of imminent death. It had really fucked things up one of us not dying. I was the backup plan. I wasn’t supposed to have her, but the moment I’d gotten my hands on her sweet, lush little body in the back of the armored vehicle, I had been lost.
I loved fucking, and I loved killing, and I’d embraced a life that allowed me to indulge generously of both. No other Omega was going to compare to Lilly, not even close. I’d had the best now, and I’d gotten lost somewhere between her magic pussy and addictive blood.
I’d die to protect her, and if I couldn’t save her, then I might as well not exist.
Fuck me, I was pussy whipped. I think I might have finally cracked.
My grin dropped, and Logan gave me a raised eyebrow. “You’re up,” he said. “Don’t fucking die on me. They’re all tied now, all three of them, and if you die, there’s going to be fallout for Eloise. Fuck knows why Lilly would care about your crazy ass, but she does. So don’t die or I’m going to come down there and beat you back to life.”
“I’m not going to fucking die, dickhead.”
And with those parting words, and a brief nod at Jordan and Kade, I dropped to my ass, slid down the roof, and landed, knees bent, on the rough gravel road.
I heard Logan cursing above me as I straightened and stepped out into the middle of the road.
They were close now, the rumble of engines permeating the frosty air.
Time to fuck up some Uncorrupted.
It took a lot of nerve to watch a big-assed, ten-ton vehicle heading straight toward you, but I wasn’t the best shot and this way I couldn’t miss. I lifted the grenade launcher into position on my shoulder. Through the sights, I could see it kicking up the gravel, and I watched the range counter tick down.
Three-two-one.
I hit the launch button.
And the trigger jammed.
“What the fuck?” I muttered, pulling it back and giving it a couple of firm slaps with the heel of my hand.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Logan growled from above.
“It’s jammed, dickhead!”
The vehicle was closing in, and frantic now, I got my boot on the trigger and despite the apparent danger of such an approach, gave it a couple of kicks.
“Fuck me, you are insane! Get your ass up here!” I could hear the skidding that signified Logan sliding down the roof—interfering fucker.
On the third kick, the leaver gave a little, and I hefted it up to my shoulder and tried again. It fired, but I must have damaged the alignment with my boot, and the shot went off at an angle that bypassed the first vehicle and curved round to take out the second.
“Fuck,” I muttered. I could hear a thud as Logan hit the ground. I fired again, but the bastard thing was jammed good.
“Get off the fucking road!” Logan roared, his feet pounding as he ran toward me.
The first All-Terrain was also bearing down on me, close enough that I could see the grim, ant-faced masks of the Uncorrupted inside. I was out of options. It was a toss-up as to whether Logan or ten-ton of metal would hit me first.
I pitched the piece-of-shit grenade launcher at the driver's side, a split-second later Logan’s heavy-ass slammed into me.
I think the All-Terrain might have been the softer option, and we both landed in a sprawling heap on the other side of the road as a mighty explosion shattered the air. The blast knocked us both down again, my ears rang, and my vision turned to stars.
We rolled, dust, grit, and shrapnel, zipping past.
Blinking tears away, I staggered to my feet, shaking my head to clear the ringing. The furious buzz of automatic weapons penetrated. Logan staggered to his feet beside me, cursing up a storm, and pulling his gun up, he opened fire on the occupants of the armored vehicles.
The first vehicle had swerved to a stop. The launcher must have exploded on impact, and nothing but a flaming shell was left.
The final vehicle had pulled up, and the remaining Uncorrupted had spilled out like avenging ants from a disturbed nest.
Chaos followed, instinct took over. I was death, and not one of the Uncorrupted was getting through.
Kade, Jordan, and Dax’s team converged on them.
Bullets zipped, blood sprayed, and screams peppered the icy night air until there was no one left to scream.
We headed back inside the Pit via the underground passages. I was a genius with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, even if I did say so myself. Jordan and Kade were grinning like a couple of grim reapers who’d gotten their weekly quota in a day.
We were close to the end of this, and I was buzzing with edgy energy, so it came as a bit of a surprise to me when I felt a sudden and violent urge to kill.
“You good?” Logan asked.
Stopping dead, a growl erupted from my chest.
“Where the fuck—” My head turned left and right. The scent that hit me was like Lilly, only corrupted, bitter, and so foul I wanted to rip the walls apart.
“Fuck,” Logan muttered, but I wasn’t listening. He didn’t try to stop me, none of them did.
Ahead, heading out toward the pit, was a thick-necked Neanderthal Alpha with a wicked scar on his chin.
I grinned. Good girl, I thought.
He stopped, and his nostrils flared. And then the motherfucker charged. Two of the Pit-security were with him. They tried to stop him, but he batted them away.
He had to have fifty pounds over me easy and a few inches in height. And I couldn’t give a fuck.
He slammed into me, taking me to the floor. We grappled. His thick fingers closed over my throat until I kneed him in the balls. I fought dirty, and I didn’t care what the fuck I had to do to take him down.
He was going fucking down.
We rolled, and I got him under me while he was still reeling from the low blow, and set about beating his face bloody. He tried to knock me off, didn’t work. He tried to strangle me, didn’t work either. I’d had the worst of Ethan over the last few weeks, and I soaked that shit up.
My fists went through pain and into numb, and I still kept beating his fucking face. His blows were still coming, but slower, but mine got stronger and wilder.
Blood and power. Her blood had done things to me, changed me—the thick-necked bastard had had her blood too, and the knowledge that he’d been the one to bite her sent me over in invisible edge.
She’s fucking mine!
I don’t remember taking out my knife, but his body was opened from his crotch to his throat, and I was leaning over him with a bloody blade in my fist. He gurgled as blood and entrails slid out that mortal cut, and I pushed off, breathing hard and covered in enough gore to make Ethan proud.
I ground a boot into a loop of entrails while he gasped and choked up blood.
I don’t think I’d ever felt this fucking happy.
“You’re something else,” Logan muttered, stirring me from my sadistic joy.
Grinning, I wiped my blade and tucked it away. I had drawn quite a crowd. Dax’s team with wild-eyed horror, Logan shook his head, while Jordan and Kade were clearly both impressed. When I cast a glance over my shoulder, a dozen Pit-security gave me a wary eyeballing.
“He attacked me. I was forced to defend myself.” I thumbed in the direction of the body that wouldn’t look out of place on an autopsy table. “You got any problems with that?”
They shook their heads, no.
A great roar went up from the end of the passage. “What the fuck is that?” I asked.
“It’s over,” one of the Pit-security said. “You killed the last contender.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
THE FIGHT WAS over.
In some distant part of my brain, the rational creature I had buried rose up and told me it was done.
Blood.
There was so much blood. I felt like I had bathed in it.
Blood and Power.
Foul blood belonging to the fools who thought they could take what was mine.
As my head swung to my right, I blinked the red haze away.
My exhaustion was bone-deep, and it touched on every part of my body. The world remained tainted, but through it, I could see my prize.
Mine.
My lethargy lifted, and my eyes alighted on my reason for existing.
